Study business economics in Groningen and discover how firms create financial value while balancing societal and sustainability concerns.
How can corporations use financial derivatives to manage their currency risks? Do stocks of environmentally friendly firms provide a better risk-return tradeoff? How can a business assess its social and environmental impact using sustainability accounting? In the Business Economics profile, you engage with such questions to understand financial decision-making within organizations from an economic point of view.
In the Business Economics profile of our BSc Economics and Business Economics programme, you will focus on corporate investments, financing, security pricing, and accounting, while also paying attention to economics, marketing, human resource management, and logistics. Moreover, you will learn about business ethics and sustainability and get an insight into corporate responsibility and its impact on organizations at both local and global levels.
You will also work on many important employability skills: analytical skills, data skills, team skills, writing skills, and presentation skills. Every year you will work on a research project to answer societal relevant questions using real-life data.
We work closely with companies from various industries and regularly offer career and employability events or guest lectures by our alumni, business leaders, and economists. By engaging with the labour market, you see how research and theory are applied to the real world and you get insights that will help you prepare for your future career.
Do you want to learn more about the other two profiles in Economics or I nternational Econo mics and Sustainable Development ?
Year one offers a solid introduction to economics and business
economics. In your first course "Introduction to E&BE" you will
explore how institutional contexts (such as democracy and
capitalism) affect people's wealth and well-being and how societal
challenges like inequality, poverty, ethics in business, and
climate impact can be evaluated from an economic point of view. You
will also dig into the fundamentals of corporate finance and
financial markets, micro-, macro-, and international economics as
well as accounting and marketing. Also, you will get to know the
basics of mathematics and statistics applied in an economic
context.
You will develop important skills in research and data analysis,
working in teams, and communication – think, for example, of
the writing and presentation skills that today's labour market
demands.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Introduction to E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Mathematics for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Microeconomics for E&BE: Consumers&Firms (5 EC) | ||||
| Financial Accounting for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Macroeconomics for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Statistics for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Data Analysis for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Marketing for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Writing and Presenting for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Asset Pricing and Capital Budgeting (5 EC) | ||||
| International Economics for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Research Project for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
In year two, you will launch into the Business Economics profile, where you learn how to value companies (for example in mergers and acquisitions) and how corporate social responsibility may create or destroy such company value. You will develop an Excel-based financial model to aid you in those tasks. You will learn how to use financial derivatives in managing companies' risks and study the management of banks in our economic system.
You will discuss costing systems and apply several techniques
used to produce financial and non-financial information to support
a firm's social and environmental responsibility. You will also
learn how to manage corporate human resources in a globalized world
where the workforce becomes more diverse. In a logistics course,
you assess global supply chain performance and how to analyze and
design the flow of goods and services.
You will examine and debate the main theories in the philosophy of
business, business ethics, and moral psychology. This will equip
you to help organizations develop ethical frameworks for
decision-making in relation to today's corporate responsibility and
sustainable development agenda.
Year 2 is also about improving your quantitative skills in
Econometrics and Matrix Analysis and Optimization, and applying
these skills in a team-based research project answering a
societal-relevant research question. This year also adds an extra
layer on top of your 1st-year courses in micro-, macro-, and
international economics.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Matrix Analysis and Optimization (5 EC) | ||||
| Monetary Macroeconomics (5 EC) | ||||
| Trade Policy and Economic Integration (5 EC) | ||||
| Management Accounting for BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Microeconomics - Industrial Organization (5 EC) | ||||
| Operations and Logistics Management (5 EC) | ||||
| Capital Structure and Financial Planning (5 EC) | ||||
| Econometrics for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Human Resource Management for BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Business Ethics, Sustainability and Law (5 EC) | ||||
| Economics of Banking (5 EC) | ||||
| Empirical Research Paper for E&BE (5 EC) | ||||
In the third year, you choose a minor. Some students choose courses offered within our own degree programme (and follow more courses in finance and data skills) or follow a faculty minor (such as Data Analytics in Economics & Business or Entrepreneurship), while others take a minor from a different faculty of the University of Groningen (such as psychology, law or neuroscience) or one that involves studying abroad for a full semester – in Europe, Latin America, Australia, Canada, China, the USA
After your minor, you continue with your business economics
specialization, make a selection from many electives, and you will
write your empirical Bachelor's thesis on a current topic.
In terms of courses, you will spend most of the second semester of
the 3rd year on finance and accounting courses. You will study
financial markets, particularly the pricing of financial securities
that are traded in these markets, such as stocks, bonds, and
options. You will explore the consequences of cross-border
activities for risk management with derivatives, on the operations
and financing of firms. You will also gain an understanding of
credit analysis and distress prediction, as well as the process of
conducting a comprehensive security and credit analysis to make
investment decisions. You will also become familiar with the
principles of marketing research.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Minor (30 EC) | ||||
| Elective BSc E&BE-BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Intermediate Asset Pricing (5 EC) | ||||
| Bachelor's Thesis E&BE-BE (10 EC) | ||||
| Elective BSc E&BE-BE (5 EC) | ||||
| Intermediate Corporate Finance (5 EC) | ||||
In this programme, you have the option of studying abroad for one semester in Year 3 (30 EC). You can do this at one of our many international exchange partners in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, or Asia.
Check this overview of our partner universities around the world: https://www.rug.nl/feb/education/exchange/partners/
Wiskunde A of wiskunde B.
It is also possible to enter the programme with an HBO propaedeutic certificate, on condition that you meet the required level of mathematics and the English language skills. For mathematics, you must at least have completed A or B (previously mathematics A12 or B1) at Dutch VWO level. For English, you must also have completed this at VWO level or obtained one of the English certificates: IELTS Academic overall score 6 (Speaking 6, Writing 5.5); TOEFL internet-based overall score 90 (Speaking 20, Writing 20); C1 Advanced (with minimum score 169).
You can enroll, as long as you have finished VWO-degree with mathematics A or B.
The degree programme will organize a choice of degree programme check. Attendance is optional. The advice is not binding.
Matching is a way for first year students of a Bachelor's degree programme without a selection procedure to find out whether their chosen degree programme matches with what they want.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
If you intend to start with a bachelor degree programme at the University of Groningen in September, make sure to apply before May 1 in Studielink. The degree programme will give you the option to participate in a matching activity to see if you and the degree programme are a match. Which matchings activity they provide depends on the faculty and programme.
Any questions about matching? Check www.rug.nl/matching
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
To meet the general entry-level requirements, you will need an educational background equivalent to the Dutch pre-university education (VWO). For an overview of VWO-equivalent qualifications, please check https://www.rug.nl/vwo-equivalent-qualifications. If you have any questions concerning admission to the programme, please contact our Admissions Office: https://www.rug.nl/admissions. |
| additional subject |
Mathematics should have been passed as a standard/methods level subject in your secondary school education. Please note that the level of mathematics will need to be assessed by the Admissions Board. |
| language test |
IELTS Academic overall score 6 (Speaking 6, Writing 5.5); TOEFL internet-based overall score 80 (Speaking 20, Writing 20); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (overall score 169, Speaking 169, Writing 162). |
Students have to apply via Studielink and the Progress Portal (replacing the previous system, Online Application System OAS) of the University of Groningen. After you apply for the programme of your choice, the Admissions Office will evaluate your educational background and assess your eligibility. Your application will be assessed on an individual basis.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
| 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
Most of our graduates continue their studies with a Master's degree. A Master's degree in Finance grants for example access to the world of corporate finance, financial markets, sustainable investing, and banking. Such a degree will make you very equipped to become a financial analyst at a bank, a treasury expert in a large corporation, or a financial consultant at an advisory firm.
If you choose the Research Master's degree programme you could move into academia and perhaps decide to go further and earn a PhD at a university in the Netherlands or abroad. As a graduate, your degree will be highly valued in the labour market.
Our research-driven education is strongly rooted in business practice and society. Our lecturers are active researchers and experts in their field. They study societally relevant topics in areas such as a healthy society, inequality, governance, sustainable finance, business ethics, sustainable development, energy policies, and much more. They conduct their research in collaboration with external partners and students and use their state-of-the-art knowledge in the classroom. Every year you will conduct a research project yourself.
Read more about the research conducted at the Faculty of Economics and Business.
After high school, I wanted to study something that had to do with economics, finance and taxation. What I found interesting about the Bachelor's programme in Groningen is that you will first be introduced to courses from each profile before you get to choose your specialization in the second year. When choosing this programme, I considered the many minor opportunities in the third year and the international accreditations (AACSB and EQUIS).
In my second year, I decided to follow the Business Economics (BE) profile. During my study, I also build up knowledge in a specific area through different courses. To give an example, you follow Asset Pricing in your first year, Capital Structure in your second year and Intermediate Asset Pricing in your third year. If the level of mathematics is the main reason that you doubt choosing this Bachelor’s degree, then you should not let this deter you. The combination of lectures, tutorials and practicals provides you with enough practice and support to accomplish the required level of mathematics. There are excellent teachers that are driven to make the most out of their courses and are always willing to help you understand the material completely.
The programme has an international aspect which I value since you get the opportunity to work together with students from all over the world and learn about different cultures. This creates a thriving learning environment and inspires students to look further than their own way of living. This programme is a good starting point for starting your career in the inspiring world of economics and finance.
